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is a name we’ll be hearing for a while, this after the 14-year-old became the first Black American Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion after properly spelling the word “Murraya” with confidence. The Louisiana native and budding basketball player set the Internet ablaze after the news of her historic feat went wide.
Avant-garde, who lives in Harvey, was among 209 spelling bee competitors from around the globe in an event that took place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Bay Lake, Fla.
As reported by ESPN, which also aired the spelling bee, Avant-garde is more than just great at the word game. She’s also the proud owner of three, that’s right, three Guinness World Records, which includes most balls juggled in one minute with four basketball, most dribbles in 30 seconds with four basketballs, most basketballs dribbled by one person simultaneously (the amount was 6).
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Despite her two-year prioritization of spelling, Avant-garde is still widely considered to be one of the top eighth-grade basketball prospects in the country. She doesn’t plan to take her foot off the gas after her big win either, as her next big goal is to make the 2022 USA Basketball under-16 national team. She even received a few shoutouts from her hometown squads after her victory.
As the outlet noted, the New Orleans Pelicans gave a proper nod to Avant-garde’s basketball skills and a video montage of her doing all kinds of amazing shots with the rock has also begun to bubble on social media.
Big up to Zaila Avant-garde! Check out the reactions from Twitter below.
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